This is a great resource for educators in the classroom setting. It is a great book for children and youth to see themselves in the stories and art of other trans youth.

A wonderful collection from a group of trans people age 11-18 who all give their own experiences in their lives and their own specific trans experience. A great set of voices to understand what it can feel like to be trans and try and find yourself when the world keeps telling you who you should be,

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Gorgeous book about Transgender joy, which I really appreciated coming from Child/teen perspectives. I think many kids will enjoy seeing themselves reflected through this.

Really great mix of art and stories. I am so glad to be able to display this for my tweens to read. I think it's very important to have anthologies like this that allow trans kids to see themselves and also to uplift their voices. This book would have been life changing for me as a tween.

Overall, the book was a good look at what being a transgender child means from the worlds of trans children themselves. While it was insightful at times, it was also kind of cringey. For example, many authors or contributors refer to themselves as white settlers. This isn't really true unless they actually settled occupied land. Just because your ancestors were settlers, doesn't mean you are. They also mentioned intersex people, which don't have anything to do with trans people. Intersex is known as DSDs (disorder of sexual development) now and is a congenital condition not a gender identity issue. I appreciate they are trying to be intersectional, but falsely calling yourself a settler and including people with DSDs in the trans community is misleading to the readers.

Growing Up Trans offers insights that are difficult to find in any other literature. It is a very relatable, important book for anyone to read and I hope it gets the following that it deserves.

I would like to thank @orcabook for allowing to me to read this wonderful ARC of Growing Up Trans. I would also like to thank NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity. Now to my review:

I absolutely loved this book. It was wonderful and I like reading the stories of kids on the trans spectrum. Being a trans-woman myself, they both rang true and I could feel where they were coming from. Some of them were very heart-warming while others left me heart-broken at hearing what these kids are going through.

That being said, I do have some notes I would like to pass on. One of my major concerns is that this book should probably come with a parental advisory warning on it, due to the one poem, "Be Strong Like Windows." This poem, though really inspiring, contains the g-d word in the line, "I did this myself, every stitch, every g-d rhinestone" This book, if I understand correctly, is supposed to be targeted for middle grade readers, and I feel this language is inappropriate for this age range.

One of my absolute favorite ones, was the story that dealt humorously with the topic of Dysphoria. Reading that really helped me during some of my recent darker times and brought a smile to my face, and I hope it helps others as it did me.

Other than that, I feel this book would be really helpful, inspiring, might even let a kid on the trans-spectrum know that they are not alone and their are others like them out there, struggling as they do. This book would be a good resource at any library irregardless of what grade. In fact, I work at a school and I have already recommended it to the librarian there and she wants to order it for the kids, since she wants to build the library's LGBTQA+ section.

I can't recommend this book enough. I liked it so much, I think I will go out and purchase a copy for myself.

Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a wonderful book that would be a great addition to K-12 classroom libraries and should be required reading for anyone working with kids or teens. This shows a range of artwork, poetry, fiction, and essays from real trans teens and their experiences in their families, their schools, and their bodies. This is such an important book and I'm so glad something like this exists.

Any and everyone who works with kids should read this book. It is so important to listen to the voices of marginalized communities and as the debates rage on about minors on hormones, gender being respected in schools, and the never ending bathroom issue, this is a really good resource. It's time we listen to the kids we're always discussing.

Visually this book is gorgeous. There's art, poetry, and quotes sprinkled throughout the essays and it's a very visually appealing story to read. I enjoyed all of the different voices showcased, it was interesting to see the different perspectives within the community.

My favorite part was probably the resources listed at the end of every chapter. There's books, essays, podcasts, and so much more right there to further the readers learning and understanding. I would put this as a must read for anyone who wants to be an ally to trans kids.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A great book for anyone with a trans kid in their life! There were a lot of great stories told and additions at the end of each chapter by the adults with other ways to help support trans kids.

There is a lot of transmasculine representation in this book. If you're looking for a book that mostly talks about trans women, this probably isn't the book for you. Although there are some similarities between all trans people, everyone still has their own experiences.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to more about the trans experience (specifically the trans masc experience), any teacher or parent who doesn't know how a trans kid might feel about their life, and any trans kids who want to feel a little less alone in this world.

I'm giving this book 5/5 stars because it perfectly captured the trans experience. It also brought up some really good points and had some powerful lines that I will continue to think about.

ARC was provided by Netgalley for an honest review.
Growing Up Trans is a nonfiction anthology of poems, essays, stories, and art written/drawn by transgender youth.This is a great read to get an inside look into how to help and be an ally in the trans community. Not to mention delves deeper into the types of harassment, mental states, and inequalities trans youths are facing right now. They want the same rights as everyone else. For their identities to be respected and taken seriously. Throughout the book it was also nice to see that the editors provide you with more resources; other book recommendations, lists of helpful organizations for trans youth, and families. They even provide a glossary in the back of the book, which was very convenient.

CW: Bullying, discussions of suicide, transphobia, and gender dysphoria

I appreciated the poems, essays, and stories—and particularly the art. I was wowed by some of the talent showcased here! I read this using the NetGalley app—I usually use an ereader for ARCs—and I’m glad I did so I could see the art, the vivid colors, and the nice graphic design that complemented the content.

The content in the book was compiled by trans youth who participated in a workshop with trans mentors, and I love how they express themselves here. The resource lists with books broken down by type/audience (eg, picture books, YA, memoir) are appreciated as well and something I am likely to refer to.

In this time where trans and gender-nonconforming kids are constantly under attack, it is more important than ever to listen to their own stories and not to the opinions of transphobic adults. This book contains art, poetry, and prose from trans kids, teens, and adults which serves as a perfect introduction into learning about trans identities from trans people. The biggest takeaway from this, unsurprisingly, is that trans kids just want to be treated as kids. They want their identities to be respected and taken seriously and they want to be able to access the care that can improve and even save their lives. By giving trans and nonbinary young people a platform, the editors have created a book which could easily be given to readers of any age to help them understand others' identities and maybe even understand their own.

TW: transphobia, bullying, gender dysphoria, discussions of suicide

Publication date: August 17, 2021 by Orca Book Publishers

My Thoughts:
This collection of stories, poems and artwork by transgender and other gender-diverse teens, from 12 - 18 range in emotion from heartbreaking to hopeful and everything in between. It started as a conversation by the two editors to quiet the voice of cisgender adults talking about trans youth and step aside to let the youth tell their own stories. Herriot and Fry coordinated three writing retreats in Canadian communities as a way to amplify the strong voices in this anthology.

They divide the pieces by certain large themes like childhood, bodies, mental health and acceptance which makes it easier for readers to both read this through as well as read for specific insight. What also makes this such a powerful resource in the classroom is that each section ends with a What Can I Do Now? section written by adult professionals in a way that does not preach but offers up small nuggets of advice and actionable suggestions for both youth and adults.

Finally, what will keep me coming back to this book as a resource is the part after each section that asks "What Can I Read Next?" I like that in each section if offers up picture book references, YA and graphic novels as well as General Audience items.

A diverse bookshelf in a middle and secondary classroom library needs this resource. Books can heal and having this anthology in your classroom means that it will find that student that needs this book for a little inspiration, understanding and healing.

In their own voices: Butterflies by Maisie Bodrug, age 13
We are done concealing our true identities/We fly high and free, and feel warm sun in our wings
But we butterflies are sensitive/An insult causes us to wilt and fall/So be kind to us, and cherish us/For we do not last forever


From the Publisher:
What does it mean to be young and transgender today? Growing Up Trans shares stories, essays, art and poetry created by trans youth aged 11 to 18. In their own words, the works illustrate the trans experience through childhood, family and daily life, school, their bodies and mental health. Together the collection is a story of the challenges, big and small, of being a young trans person. At the same time, it’s a toolkit for all young people, transgender or not, about what understanding, acceptance and support for the trans community looks like. In addition to the contributed works, there are questions and tips from experts in the field of transgender studies to challenge the reader on how to be a trans ally.

Thanks to NetGallery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a fantastic primer and would be wonderfully used in K-12 school districts. The collection of artistic works and written works (essays, art, stories, poetry and more) created by trans youths is inspiring and raw. The collection provides a lot of insight into the trans adolescent perspective and is also a great toolkit: divided into sections such as School, Mental Health, Acceptance) each area contains follow up questions for reflections, a "What Can I Do Now?" area with suggestions for trans allies, and a Recommended Reading section with related picture books, YA books, graphic novels, and more.

It's a moving and important read. One anonymous quote from the book is especially impactful: "We aren't asking for 'special rights.' We are just asking to be acknowledged and respected. We aren't asking for 'more.' We are asking for the same respect that students deserve. We're asking to be treated like people. That's all I want. To be treated like a person."

I also really enjoyed that in addition to getting an About the Authors for Dr. Herriot and Kate Fry, we get self-written bios of varying length from each trans contributor.

Great book to learn and feel what young people are feeling in their journey towards their true self. Refreshing! Opened my prospective on the topic.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974


To see the world through the eyes of youth, is to see it anew. Youth shared their triumphs, pain, and joy within this anthology. In between each section, there are resources for further information and assistance.

I wish there were author bios for the kids, instead we get bios for the editors. I also hope the contributors get a portion of the proceeds which will help pay for school or something fun.